Why Beijing Stands By Pyongyang

U.S. hopes for a change of heart ignore how closely China's strategic worldview aligns with North Korea's.

By

Lora Saalman

Feb. 20, 2013 11:45 a.m. ET

On the heels of North Korea's third nuclear test, speculation abounds that China has reached a new height of embarrassment and frustration over its neighbor's intransigence. The thinking goes that Beijing's new leadership will undertake a more active role on the North Korean nuclear issue.

However, this view underestimates Beijing's strong preference for multilateral negotiations and for the kind of stability its leaders see as...